Sabyasachi Bagchi: In the absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and four other regular players, a few young cricketers have got their chance in the Indian team which will tour Sri Lanka next month to play a tri-nation T20I series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Among them is Baroda’s young all-rounder Deepak Hooda who has got a call up in the Indian cricket team after his brilliant all-round show in the domestic cricket. Primarily, he started his cricketing career at Haryana but later in 2009 he moved to Baroda due to his father’s transferable job and now he is the skipper of Baroda. Ahead of leaving for Sri Lanka, Deepak shared his thoughts with www.xtratime.in. Here goes the full conversation:
XT: Before IPL 2018 you have got your first call up for the Indian cricket team. What is your view regarding this matter?
Hooda: I am not thinking of IPL. I have performed well in domestic cricket and if I get a chance in the playing XI, I will give my 110 percent for the nation.
XT: Who is your idol?
Hooda: My childhood hero is Kevin Peterson, but my role model is Yuvraj Singh. I have learnt a lot of things from him in the Sunrisers Hyderabad dressing room. Apart from cricket also he always backed me.
XT: Can you share some good memories with Yuvraj which helped you to grow as a cricketer?
Hooda: At one stage of my career I used to get run out in maximum games. Yuvi pa told me to look after my running between the wickets which helped me a lot. In a match against Punjab this season I was again run out. At the end of the game he again told me to focus on my game and in the next game I scored 161 runs against Railways. He gifted me a bat after the match.
XT: You have performed really well in domestic cricket as well as IPL in last few seasons. Sunrisers Hyderabad also bought you with a whooping amount of 3.6 crore. Can you share your journey with us?
Hooda: I am blessed that I am getting my chances on right time and now I have to capitalize on those chances. I have to do my hard work and keep my focus in the game.
XT: A lot of renowned players like Kiran More, Atul Bedade, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Hardik Pandya have already represented the nation and now it’s your turn. Do you think Baroda cricket has flourished a lot?
Hooda: We have very good infrastructures in Baroda. In this season we had a good coach too which also helped us to perform well this season. As you said it is nothing new that Baroda has always given good cricketers to the Indian cricket team. Hardik is currently one of the most important players of the playing XI. Irfan bhai, Yusuf bhai and Munaf Patel too played for the nation and now it’s my turn to deliver.
XT: You are the captain of Baroda. Is it helped you to become a good cricketer?
Hooda: Baroda is a good side in domestic cricket and I was also ready for the job as well. Ahead of getting captaincy, I get a lot of help from the coaches and team management.
XT: In the absence of star cricketers how bigger it would be an opportunity for you to showcase your all-round talent in Sri Lanka?
Hooda: It will be a proud moment if I get an opportunity to represent my nation there. I will give everything for my country. In the last Sri Lanka series I didn’t get a chance in the playing XI but this time if I get a chance I will definitely do everything for my team.